Experience the Grand Canyon with El Portal Sedona Hotel

Seeing the Grand Canyon in winter is incredible! It is more than just a sightseeing destination with beautiful views. Visiting the canyon with its ancient, awe-inspiring vistas is a soul-stirring experience that no one should miss. Over four million people visit the Grand Canyon each year to enjoy its views, trails and river currents while creating lifelong memories of time spent at this magnificent natural wonder. During the winter season there are no crowds, some snow, cool temperatures and spectacular vistas.

El Portal Sedona Hotel specializes in helping their guests make the most of their Grand Canyon excursions. Sedona is only an hour and forty minutes from the Grand Canyon, which allows guests to avoid the tourist crowds and congestion, while enjoying a back roads drive and easier park entry. El Portal is close to snowy areas like Flagstaff and Williams for skiing and snowboarding, and Wing Mountain and Crowley for sledding and tubing.

Guests can head off from the hotel on a self-guided day of exploration, armed with El Portal’s map and a detailed list of attractions. For those who want to spend the day with some of the region’s most experienced and knowledgeable canyon guides, El Portal has a package with multiple options such as taking in the IMAX movie, lunching at historic El Tovar Lodge or even taking a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon (weather permitting). This day trip highlights the incredible views from the South and East Rims of the park and allows guests time to do some exploring on their own.

Pack for layering, this way you will be comfortable all day long. Make sure you have a warm, water-proof jacket, warm pants and long underwear. Gloves and hats are in order. But remember, the weather may turn very pleasant and you will need to shed a layer or two. Bring sturdy walking shoes with tread or hiking boots. Trails in the winter will have ice or snow, especially in the shady spots. From about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is shining at the Grand Canyon, you may even feel warm while hiking the rim. Keep in mind that the weather is unpredictable. At the South Rim you will be at 6,950 feet.

Of course, at the end of a memorable day at the Grand Canyon, guests of El Portal return to the relaxing luxury of the hotel. The twelve room boutique hotel was designed and built with painstaking attention to detail, featuring turn of the century Southwestern design. Each well appointed suite features a private entrance, patio, fireplace, whirlpool, entertainment center with DVD, and more. El Portal encourages guests to make themselves completely at home throughout the property’s indoor and outdoor living spaces. El Portal’s welcoming atmosphere and personalized concierge services Sedona will make any guest’s Grand Canyon excursion the trip of a lifetime.

El Portal is a pet friendly hotel here in Sedona. So don’t leave your pet at home, bring them to El Portal, where they will be welcomed as warmly as yourself.